Correct coding for the orthopedic surgeon.

Coding accurately is one of the main principles of a successful practice. Some changes that we will see shortly include deletion of the term "separate procedure," deletion of the term "with and/or without," deletion of the term "any method," revision of the criteria for choosing E/M levels, and 52 new and revised Hand Surgery codes. Some other changes to come will be category II and category III codes. More changes are occurring as this is written, and the best advice is to stay tuned. It is obvious to the authors that coding is mainly for reimbursement purposes. The orthopedic surgeon must remain vigilant and must not pass this task on to someone else. Ignorance of coding methods is not an excuse [2]. We must all watch carefully and speak up when necessary. In this day of decreasing reimbursement, we can all increase our revenue stream without working any harder if we code our work properly, completely, and promptly.